Chelsea given green light to build new home stadium

English Premiership league football side Chelsea has got the go-ahead for a new 60,000-seat stadium designed by the architects behind the "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium in Beijing.

The new home for the London-based club, costing more than $600 million, has been designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron, reports Xinhua.

The local council for Hammersmith and Fulham approved the scheme at a planning meeting on Wednesday night.

In a statement on the club's website on Thursday, Chelsea FC told fans that the council has given permission for the new stadium.

When built, it will replace Chelsea's existing home ground , the Stamford Bridge Stadium that opened in 1877, which has an attendance capacity of 41,600.

The new stadium includes a direct walkway link between the stadium and a station on the London Underground public rapid transit system.

The club's statement on Thursday said: "This is just the latest step, although a significant one, that we have to take before we can commence work, including obtaining various other permissions."

This includes arranging a new home for Chelsea for up to three seasons while the construction work is carried out.

The Wembley stadium is the most favoured among several options for a temporary home for Chelsea.

Another option is for the club to remain at Stamford Bridge while work goes on.

--IANS

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